Popsicles!

I remember eating delicious frozen kulfi on hot summer days. My mom would make them in blue moulds. I don't recall clearly, but I think they came with "Milkmaid" condensed milk tins. These memories made me want to prepare popsicles for Little M. I was eagerly awaiting his reaction to these cold treats - especially he had never had anything like it before. 

The first time I prepared popsicles, I made it too berry-heavy. It became too tart. Little M humored me and spent a few minutes licking the popsicle, but I realized I had to make some adjustments to the sweetening. The first recipe I made had berries, lemon juice and a smidge of honey. That just didn't cut it.

Today, I used a slightly different combination of fruits and this worked out well. M sucked the last drop off the popsicle stick.

Ingredients

2 large ripe bananas

8-10 strawberries

1/2 C pineapple juice

Method

Blend together and pour into popsicle moulds. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours before un-moulding.

Peanut Chutney

Having Idli or Dosa batter ready to go is such a boon! 5.30pm is a busy time in our kitchen. Dinner prep begins in full swing. After a busy work day, some days it is convenient to have Idly or Dosa for dinner with a vegetable on the side. Little M loves these foods and he likes dipping the pieces in a chutney or podi.

One chutney that takes very little time to throw together is this one, if you have roasted peanuts on hand. It is a "raw" chutney. For something so simple, it tastes quite delicious. I think it would make a good salad dressing as well.

Ingredients

1/4 C crushed roasted peanuts

1 tsp minced ginger

Handful of chopped cilantro

1 tsp date syrup

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients in food processor or mixer. Taste and adjust balance of sour, sweet, and saltiness.